


Fifteen Thousand Six Hundred and Twenty Four

by dreaminginscenes



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akuma Attack, Angst, Desperada, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I expect to see a dozen more fics like this in the next 24 hours, Kissing, LadyNoir - Freeform, One Shot, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-10-10 20:56:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20534480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreaminginscenes/pseuds/dreaminginscenes
Summary: Adrien's 15,624th try as Aspik may be enough to break him.





	Fifteen Thousand Six Hundred and Twenty Four

**Author's Note:**

> Did I already write a Desperada one shot within 24 hours of the episode's release? Yes. Yes I did. I expect y'all to do the same.

"We now have five minutes. Within this--"

_"DON'T SAY THAT AGAIN!"_

Adrien's whole frame shook as his stomach churned. How could she look so alive?! Seconds before he had to watch her scream his name before vanishing in that sickening cloud of smoke.

"Again? You mean--you already tried?"

Could she see his hands shaking? She had to; he could barely support his own weight anymore. "Fifteen thousand six hundred and twenty four…"

"What?"

"Fifteen thousand…six hundred…and twenty four…that's how many times I failed you."

He buried his face in his hands; he couldn't bear to see the disappointment--disgust, betrayal, whatever it may be--that was sure to mar her spell-binding features.

She took a slow breath before she spoke. "You've tried that many times? Wh--Why?"

He knew perfectly well why. He had told her why a few dozen times by now; not that it mattered. Not that anything ever mattered anymore.

How many times had he thrown himself in harm's way for her as Chat Noir? How many times had it saved her or hindered her? And now as Aspik, how many more times would that same horrible march repeat itself?

No matter the hero he masqueraded as, every effort to protect the one thing that truly mattered fell short. And yet he tried every time; he would always try; he would never--could never--stop trying, because--

_"Because I love you!"_ The flood gates finally burst with a torrent of tears; everything that he was wanted to spill out, and he wouldn't stop it this time. "I've loved you ever since I first saw you as Chat Noir, and I can't stop! I don't care if you don't love me back, I have to try to protect you, even if I always fail! Because maybe just once I might actually save you and I won't lose you! So that's why! That's why I've tried fifteen thousand six hundred and twenty four times, and I'll try fifteen thousand six hundred and twenty four more times if I know there's even a chance I can save you, _because I love you!_"

He gasped for air; between the tears and his confession, it was getting difficult to breathe. The trembling in his jaw wasn't helping his pathetic state either, he assumed, grinding his teeth to hopefully halt the betrayal of emotion.

Ladybug's mouth hung open, eyes wide as spotlights. "As Ch--as WHO??"

_Oh…whoops…_ Adrien inwardly cursed himself for his outburst. Granted he had told her who he was a few times in all his attempts, but this was perhaps the first time she actually had a chance to register the revelation. "As…Chat Noir…"

She blinked rapidly as though trying to clear away her fog of confusion. "Y-You're--you're--No! There's no way! Why would tell me that?? You can't be Chat Noir!"

It was Adrien's turned to be shocked; was it really that hard to believe? Maybe it was, considering her absolute one-eighty on him as Chat Noir versus Adrien. "Sass, scales rest!"

"What are you doing?? We have to defeat--"

"Plagg, claws out!" With two mingled flashes of bright teal and neon green, he replaced the snake guise with his usual engraved black.

Her eyes actually became wider. "You're--you're actually--"

"Yeah! I'm Chat Noir, _m'lady!_" He nearly spat the endearment. "What's so difficult about that?! Am I not as perfect as Mr. Model Adrien Agreste?! Or is Chat Noir more repulsive than Adrien?!"

She recoiled as though he had struck her. With a horrible pang in his gut, he realized he had in a way. He cussed himself out internally; there was no reason to let that envious green snake coil up in his mind just because he knew he was going to fail again--especially if the source of that jealousy was himself.

"I--I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…that wasn't fair…I'm sorry Ladybug."

She wrung her spotted hands. "It's okay…I can't imagine what you've been through…Chat…" She giggled with his name. "Funny; I thought Adrien and I would make a great team; I didn't realize we already were."

Chat bit his lip, that green snake in his brain turning into a lump in his throat. How could she so readily forgive him time and time again? Another wave of tears stung at his eyes.

At that moment, the bracelet--still powered and ticking away on his wrist despite his transformation--gave a tell-tale buzz he had begun to dread. One minute.

Ladybug's cheeks flushed rosy pink beneath her mask. "And…I guess I should apologize too. I wish I hadn't broken your heart so many times, but I guess the reason I thought I had to…was actually you all along." She gave him a sheepish smile.

_Was actually you all along… _She couldn't mean. Chat's heart pounded in his ears.

The bracelet buzzed again, sending a shock of an idea through him. If he could delay long enough, maybe he could have a real second chance.

She brushed a dark lock of hair behind her ear. "I guess what I mean, Chat, is--"

He didn't need to hear her say it; in a single step he wrapped her in his arms and pressed his lips to hers. It only took a moment for her to return the kiss, sending tangible palpitations from his heart through his veins.

With a laugh she fell away. He didn't care; her smile was just as wonderful. 

"I should tell you I'm--"

She gasped; suddenly in his arms was only a blast of golden smoke.

Desperada laughed maniacally and readied her gun again.

Chat fought back the scream in his throat. "Sass, scales sliver!" The moment the teal slid over his arm he yanked the switch, the familiar flash of white falling over the world a hair's breadth before a golden shot ruined his second chance.

_Fifteen thousand six hundred and twenty five…_

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Wish I could have dwelt a little more on Adrien's trauma, but considering they only have five minutes I decided to keep it short. Just know that there is a lot more behind his outbursts. And realistically, Ladybug would have needed more time to come to terms with everything, but hey I wanted fluff and angst so she got over her surprise pretty fast. Thanks again for reading!


End file.
